"Those Shoes" by Maribeth Boelts

This book is about a single mother who has a son. He wants the cool new brand name shoes that everyone at school has but his mom tells him she can't afford anything he doesn't NEED. One day, when he's at school, his old tennis shoes break and the school gym teacher gives him old, child-like shoes that he is embarrassed of. His mom takes him to store because she has a little bit of money saved up and wants to see how much those shoes are. Turns out they are too expensive, so they go thrift store hopping to see if they're lucky. They find a pair that is too small. Eventually, he gives those shoes to another little boy in need in his class with smaller feet.

This book is realistic fiction because it is a story that could very well be real. Many families go through situations like this and regardless, kids will always want to "be cool" like everyone else around them in school.

I like this book because it's something I can relate to. There's also a sense of doing what's right and wrong in the book. It's something that probably many of us can relate to, trying to do something good for other people to be nice. I can see many different lesson plan ideas coming out of this.